My birthday just recently passed and a friend surprised me by getting me a DS Lite. I went out and the first game I bought was this.

Of course, I've read the reviews by people that just downright hated the game, and those more forgiving. I knew what I was getting into and consciously lowered my expectations. Even so, I share the grievances seemingly everyone has with the game. It's just so annoying how you can't target enemies and worse, it seems they always target the wrong enemy. Attack all the weak beelzebubs first, then attack the heavy-damaging guy. Makes sense

I try, but it's hard for me to imagine a game designer(s) sitting down at a table and thinking these were good ideas. I'm still playing the game and with as much patience as I can muster. I play in relatively short sessions, too, so I don't go nuts. At least aesthetically, the game is done well.

Well, I can we can only hope this won't completely damper the chances of a Lunar sequel (and one that does justice to the series).

I bet if they added Enemy Targeting alone, this game would have gotten far better reviews. I haven't played it myself, and I tend not to (even though I own the game.) This way, I have the item, but I won't be scarred for life.

- "Sometimes life smiles when it kicks you down. The trick is to smile back."

I would like to play this game very much.But there is one question I would like to ask.Can anyone explain to me the save bug feature that causes the game not to save. I read about it on this forum a while back.

AFAIK there is no explanation, since it couldn't be regularly reproduced. Keep in mind that there are some points in the game in which you simply can't save, which isn't from this bug. You'll likely find yourself saving very often anyway due to the item breakage/stealing.

When I first started playing Dragon Song I absolutely hated it, but after going through the tournament in Healriz and getting Gabryel, I've actually started liking the game to where I can't put it down. It just takes some getting used to.

If they had put in targetting, and had taken away the damge from running (or made your character walk faster), it would have been an awesome game. However, the fact that you have to walk everywhere slows the game down alot.

Actually, running doesn't get bad at all once you get past level 10. You'll be able to run through the entire Thieves' Woods at around level 12-14 before having to heal again - and by that time you're already in the next village, so you can just use an Althena statue.

I just got a DS, and I'm forcing myself to play through this, and it's really aggravating.

The flow of the story is decent enough. The characters aren't as compelling as those in previous Lunar games, but I'm pretty sure we can attribute much of those games' quality to Working Designs, and they obviously had nothing to do with this title.

The battle system in general is just horrendous, though. The lack of enemy targeting is quite simply a ridiculous decision on the part of the designers. The fact that enemies level up along with the party would be alright if the characters weren't so out of balance with each other, strength-wise; Lucia and Gabryel can't defeat any enemies with one hit, no matter how much they level up.

The dual battle modes seem to have caused more gameplay issues than they're worth in terms of innovation. Because you don't earn experience in one mode, gameplay is set up so that you aren't expected to be at a certain level at any certain point in the game (enemies level up with the party, new characters join the party at level 1, etc). This would all be fine, except that the characters are completely out of balance with each other; Lucia will always do tiny amounts of damage, no matter how much she levels up. And there's no "defend" command, and she has no offensive magic, so she's out there pointlessly swinging that umbrella at enemies almost every single round.

I dunno, I can make Gabi kill plenty of things in one hit. But then, I found that I can give myself practically infinite silver from the "From Roland Woods" job from Gad's Express, which equals mucha better equipment.

Flora is just plain horrible at attacking though... I only use her for healing, and even then she doesn't have <i>nearly</i> enough MP to cover us during a boss battle unless I uber-power myself with several Insector and Beelzebub cards.

AlasdairPalemoon wrote:I try, but it's hard for me to imagine a game designer(s) sitting down at a table and thinking these were good ideas. I'm still playing the game and with as much patience as I can muster. I play in relatively short sessions, too, so I don't go nuts.

The game designer(s) must've been drunk... Thats all I can say >_>

If I ever got a DS, i'm sad to say that this game wouldn't be my first buy ^^; I'd run over to the PSP games because i'm just so crazy.

But anyway. I DO like the character designs in the game, but really, that all I'd give it, considering everything else that i've heard.

It's been over a month now, and I haven't beaten the game. Honestly, I put it down once I got a copy of Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow, then tried to pick DS up again but couldn't get back into it.

I figure I have to finish it sometime, but I guess the question stirring in my head is should I let this bring my opinion down of the series? I always took pride in saying that the Lunar series was my personal favorite, but I don't know if I can ignore a below-par installment. Granted, Gamearts didn't develop it directly, but still...oy.

AlasdairPalemoon wrote:It's been over a month now, and I haven't beaten the game. Honestly, I put it down once I got a copy of Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow, then tried to pick DS up again but couldn't get back into it.

I figure I have to finish it sometime, but I guess the question stirring in my head is should I let this bring my opinion down of the series? I always took pride in saying that the Lunar series was my personal favorite, but I don't know if I can ignore a below-par installment. Granted, Gamearts didn't develop it directly, but still...oy.

I simply changed my phrase to "The lunar series holds both the best and the worst rpg titles.". how's that work?

I know it hurts, but it is a decent playthrough if you focus on the story and try to ignore the gameplay.

I think the story is only DECENT as well. This is basically what would happen if a fanfic writer got to make the game.